School Board Oks $15.65 Million Budget

February 28, 2003|By DAVID OWENS; Courant Staff Writer

CANTON — After nearly two hours of talk about the cost of portable classrooms, future capital spending and the need for a computer network manager, the board of education Thursday night approved a budget proposal that would increase spending 5.22 percent.

The proposal totals $15.65 million, $776,468 more than this year's $14.87 million budget.

Board Chairman Robert Bessel termed the budget a compromise between a desire to serve the town's students with the best program possible and the realization that taxpayers need a break this year. An automatic 6 percent tax increase is included in the town budget that goes into effect July 1 because of the school renovation and addition project approved in December.

``In this recommendation we are hopeful the board of finance will accept our idea that we've tried to be fiscally responsible while being responsive to the students of the district,'' Bessel said.

He also expressed concern that the board of finance, which will set the budget's final bottom line, will seek to limit the tax-rate increase to no more than a mill, which is about $571,000.

``If they do that we're looking at close to a $200,000 cut,'' Bessel said. ``It's just my gut. That's what I'm afraid is going to happen to this budget.''

That deep a cut in the board's budget increase would hurt the school system's ability to serve students, Bessel said. Even at a 5.22 percent increase, ``we're not adequately funding the district,'' he said.

``I'm going to hope like hell I'm wrong about my fears about my colleagues on the board of finance,'' Bessel said.

Finance board members have not said what increase they'd approve, but because of the automatic 6 percent tax increase have told the selectmen and the school board to keep their budgets tight.

The board members who voted against the budget did so for different reasons.

Minichiello said he wanted to forward to the finance board a proposed increase of no more than 4.9 percent. Berry said she wanted the board to earmark money for portable classrooms that will be needed at the Canton Junior-Senior High School. And Bush has insisted the board begin to allocate money for future capital needs, including repaving of the parking lot at Canton Intermediate School.

The board will carry about $150,000 in its capital budget next year, an amount that Superintendent Anthony Serio said could cover the cost of the portable classrooms.